mostly sweet & a little bit spicy

bookclub

My mom, Bev, my sister, Ally, and I absolutely love to do bookclub together. There’s just something about reading a book that someone else has also read while it’s still semi-fresh in your head that provides a connection that we adore. I can’t remember when we first started doing this, but since my sister and I both live in Grand Rapids, and my mom in St. Joseph, we try to do this a couple times a year.

Our bookclubs have become semi-legendary over the years. We usually kick out the boys, make/go out for some great food (preferably a cuisine that fits in with the theme of the book), and have plenty of wine. Since we enjoy these bookclubs so much, I thought that I would share what we ate, what we talked about, and what we drank!

Photography by Allyson Regan

Let’s talk about the book first. We all really liked this book! I think my mom chose this pick for us. Sarah Jessica Parker started SJP for Hogarth which is her new publishing company. This is the first book that she’s published and I think this is why we heard about it in the first place. And I’m so glad that we did!

A Place For Us is skillfully written by Fatima Farheen Mirza. In her debut novel, she takes us on a journey through an Muslim-American family trying to balance faith, family, and the crucial different between right and wrong. The book opens up with a wedding for the eldest daughter and continuously returns to the scene. Throughout the novel, it’s almost as if we are peeking into the families memories in no certain order. We get to see memories that shaped the events that happen at this wedding, from a variety of perspectives.

Photography by Allyson Regan

Overall, the consensus was that we really enjoyed this book and it was a great read! This bookclub was really fun because we were able to discuss the theme of family as it was seen in the book compared to our family.

Some of the questions that we brought up during our discussion are listed below. These are great starting points, but feel free to add your own! When I lead the questions, I also like to start with some broad questions which helps to get the conversation started.

What was your overall impression of the book?

Why was this book chosen?

Did you like the fragmented style that the narrative was laid out?

Would you pursue future books written by this author?

Do you think that showing a brief example of how 9/11 affected Muslim-Americans added to the story line?

How do you interpret the strained relationship between the children and their father?

Because the storyline between Amira and Amar was very Romeo & Juliet-esque, do you think it became a doomed love story?

What could have pushed Rafiq to come to the realization that he experienced in the final section before Amar disappeared again?

How could their family dynamics have differed if they weren’t Muslim?

How much of the Amar-troubles could have been avoided if they had a more open dialogue between the children and the parents?

Photography by Allyson Regan

The menu for our bookclub included this thick and sweet Mango Rum Lassi, delicious and comforting Chicken Tikka Masala, warm naan bread, and a nice warming bottle of Rioja wine. We chose the lassi because it’s something that was featured in the book, without the rum of course, and we had never tried one before! It was quite sweet, and I think each of us only had one small glass before we switched to wine. The Tikka Masala is one of my favorite things to make at home, and since it was also mentioned int he book, it was a natural fit. The naan bread seemed fitting too, and we just warmed it up for a minute or two in the oven before serving. I also made a coconut basmati rice to serve under the tikka. This rice was super easy, just replace all of the water with coconut milk and add in salt, pepper, and fresh or ground ginger.

Because my sister is a vegetarian, I also made a simple cauliflower tikka masala, which I basically just made the same recipe without marinating the chicken. It turned out so good and the cauliflower pieces just steamed in the sauce and absorbed all that flavor.

Photography by Allyson Regan

If you have any other questions about this book or about how to host a book club of your own, feel free to drop a comment or send me a message! I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Reading!

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I’ll be the first to admit it, there a quite a few holes in my literary education. I haven’t read anything by Jane Austen, Margaret Atwood, or even all of the Harry Potter books. I know, its terrible. But I love to read! So when thinking about what books I want to read in 2019, I put together a list of classics, nonfiction, memoirs, and new releases. If you want to up your reading game, feel free to use this list and let me know about it by using the hashtag, #nutmegreads2019 so I can see it! I think 2019 is going to be a good year for readers!

Be aware, this is a long post. If you just want the new releases list, feel free to search for my 2019 Book List on Amazon to see what new releases I’m excited about!

(1) Becoming by Michelle Obama

First on my list is the most recent book that I’ve bought, that was just released a month or two ago. This is definitely one of those bandwagon books that I’ve seen all over social media. I’ve always been a big fan of the Obamas, and I haven’t read any of the books that they’ve written. Maybe I’m just missing them being in office so I feel compelled to read this book, but I’m also intrigued at the idea of getting a closer look into Michelle and what it was like for her to be the First Lady.

(2) Golden Child by Claire Adam

This next book is going to be released in January of 2019. I found this book on Oprah’s list of the Most Anticipated books of 2019 so it’s probably going to be a great read. This book is published by Sarah Jessica Parker’s new publishing house and if this book is anything like her debut book, A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mizra, it will be very well written. It tells the story of a mother choosing between her two sons, set in Trinidad.

(3) Severance by Ling Ma

I know, I’m a little late to the Ling Ma train, but better late than never, right? Published towards the end of the summer, this book quickly caught the attention of book reviewers and even NPR. In her debut novel, the main character lives in NYC but ends up fighting for her life in an apocalypse-type situation. Not quite the usual reason people leave the Big Apple. While I love movies that have this same fight-for-survival theme, I’m interested to see how it plays out on the page.

(4) There There by Tommy Orange

The striking orange cover with black artwork is what drew me to this book, and the reviews are what prompted me to add it to my list. In fact, this book was on the New York Times Book Reviews 10 Best Books of 2018 list. Orange’s debut novel tackles of theme of home through the eyes of Native Americans’ set in Oakland, California. Hopefully, it’s a great read!

(5) The Handmaid’s Tale

I’ve been meaning to read this book for years now. In a sense, I have read parts of the books, through the lense of Sparknotes, apologies to my Honors English teacher! This book is finally being pushed to the top of my reading list not only because I want to finally watch the series on hulu, but also because Margaret Atwood is coming out with a sequel to this book in 2019! If you also haven’t read this classic dystopian novel, it’s the story of a world where womans’ freedoms are limited and women are only valued for their fertility.

(6) In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

This is another book that’s been on my shelf for a while, but I’m pushing it near the top of my list for next year. I’m obsessed with food, not sure if you noticed) and I’ve been told that I should read this multiple times. In this nonfiction book, Pollan delves into the idea of what we should actually be eating and how, over the years, food has left natural food items and turned into products of food science. I’m looking forward to this book and it will be a timely read when so many people are trying to be healthier in the New Year.

(7) Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

I first heard about this book on NPR and I was immediately interested. I don’t know much about Steve Jobs or even that he was married!

(8) The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Pt. 1, 2, and 3

I’ve seen the movies… so I should really read the books!

(9) The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald

I found this book on another Most Anticipated List, it might have been Oprah’s again. This chilling story is definitely a huge step out of my comfort zone for books. I avoid scary movies at all costs and I hardly ever read thrillers. But this book sounds so intriguing that I just might give it a shot.

(10) My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

This is one of those books that I picked up a while ago at a little bookstore in Grand Rapids cleverly called Books and Mortar. Written by an Italian author, I bought this because I was intrigued by a story that takes place in Naples. I hope it was a good purchase!

(11) Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

I don’t read many memoirs, but one of my goals for 2019 is to read more memoirs by people that inspire.

I just might add to this for the second half of 2019, as most of the new releases I found are being published in the first six months of the year. Plus, I’m sure I’ll come across a few classics that I desperately need to get under my belt!

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Sweater weather is definitely here and while I adore the snow, I am craving just a bit of sunshine. Or maybe I just need some Vitamin D…

This recipe came about from a book club get-together with my mom and my sister. We love to get together and chat about a book we’ve all read, enjoy some good food, and usually a cocktail or at least some wine. This time we read A Place for Us, which is such a good book! If you’re hosting a book club for this book, look for a full post on it coming soon!

This was my first ever Mango Lassi, or Lassi in general, and in true Nutmeg-style, I added booze to it. A Lassi is a traditional yogurt drink from India that usually contains water, sugar, fruit, and yogurt. To keep with the tropical vibe of the mango that I chose for this version, I added rum, which felt all too natural. Because I don’t really care for overly sweet drinks, I chose honey over the sugar for this recipe.

Mango-Rum Lassi

2 cups frozen mango chunks

1/2 cup whole milk greek yogurt

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup white rum

1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste to make sure you have the sweetness correct because every bag of frozen mango can have a different amount of sweetness. This recipe make enough for 4 people, however it is a small glass for each. For my mom and my sister, it was just enough for us because the drink is very thick and rich with that yogurt.